The present invention relates to fishing rods and, in particular, casting rods.
There exist numerous bait casting rods and handles, including many forms of pistol grip handle. All bait casting handles include a receptacle for receiving the butt end of the rod blank. In the vast majority of prior art fishing rods, the rod blank extends only partially into the handle portion and does not project into the handle portion beyond the area where the fishing reel is mounted. In most cases, the prior art rods utilize a reel seat which includes screw operated clamping means for positioning a locking plate to secure the reel foot to the reel seat portion of the handle. Because the shaft of the adjustment screw passes through the handle material and thereby weakens it, the handle structure must be made stronger by making it thicker and therefore heavier. Because of the fact that the adjustment screw passes through the axis of the reel seat portion of the handle, the rod blank receptacle does not extend through the reel seat portion of the prior art handles.